True Heroes

August 31, 2015
Proceeds from this collection of 21 stories—contributing authors include Ally Condie, Shannon Hale, Brandon Mull, Bobbie Pyron, and J. Scott Savage—benefit the Anything Can Be project, which fights pediatric cancer. The stories are inspired by children with cancer, and photographer (and Anything Can Be founder) Diaz presents dramatic photographs of the children dressed as firefighters, superheroes, pirates, and more to open each story. Hale recasts Lilly, born with Ewing’s sarcoma, as a warrior princess facing down a goblin army, while Liesl Shurtliff weaves an imaginative Alice in Wonderland–style story, complete with size-shifting, for a girl named Jordan, who died months after being diagnosed with bone cancer. The photography, heroic adventures, and profiles of the children who inspired them add up to a project that’s inspiring and moving on multiple levels. Ages 8–11.

September 1, 2015

Gr 4-8-Here are original fairy tales and hero stories written by authors such as Shannon Hale, Brandon Mull, Jennifer A. Nielsen, and Ally Condie, all inspired by Diaz's photography and his organization, Anything Can Be. Diaz takes vibrant photographs of children who are battling cancer. From being a baker to riding dragons to playing basketball with the Utah Jazz, the children live their fantasies through the photographs. In Liesl Shurtliff's "Jordan in Everywhere," Jordan experiences her final days and goes to a Wonderland-like place to find her father. In the photos, readers see Jordan dressed as Alice in Wonderland. In Condie's "The Drop-Off," Anna is going to a dance. She has a scar on her leg from an operation, and she debates with a friend whether she should kiss a boy at the end of the night. The accompanying image is of dancer Bre, who inspired the short story (Diaz merged two photos of Bre together to make her look as though she is leaping gracefully). Each tale is unique and begins with a short description of the child, his or her personal story, and the photograph. Scan codes direct readers to a behind-the-scenes video. VERDICT An inspiring anthology of well-told short stories accompanied by beautiful visuals.-Kris Hickey, Columbus Metropolitan Library, OH

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 15, 2015
In this unusual pro bono gathering, 21 children struck by cancer are worked into elaborately staged photographs and then into matching stories created by as many Utah authors. For his "Anything Can Be" project, photographer and collection editor Diaz costumes the young patients according to their wishes-as fairies, athletes, knights, a firefighter, a cowpoke, or less generically as a baker, "Batkid," and a "fashionista"-and portrays them here with fulsome introductory tributes to their spirit and courage. The children display these qualities in the ensuing stories, and if the cover's claim that most of the authors are "best-selling" is, at best, premature, there's quality here. Shannon Hale offers a tale of a warrior princess imprisoned in a tower by goblins who shave her head so she can't escape a la Rapunzel, and Brandon Mull gives readers a costumed young superhero redirecting a vengeful bullying victim onto the moral high road; both stories are strong and effective for all their brevity. The overall tone of earnest boosterism is twice relieved by funny stories (Tyler Whitesides' "A Fireman Always Helps" and Bobbie Pyron's "Sada of the High Seas") and by Lehua Parker's powerful "Mermaid's Tale," in which just walking up a staircase becomes an agonizing feat of endurance. Broad streaks of sentimentality, particularly in the pictures, but the worthy purpose shines through. (Short stories. 8-12)

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September 1, 2015
Grades 2-4 The heroes of these tales are almost two dozen kids who are bravely battling cancer. In their imaginations, who do they want to be? They share the answers with photographer Diaz, who costumes them accordingly and then takes their portraits, digitally integrating them into a fantasy background. Thus, Korbyn, who dreams of becoming a fireman, is shown fighting a roaring blaze, while Lilly, who wants to be a warrior princess, is shown on horseback, armed with a bow and lance. Each entry is accompanied by a brief introduction of the young subject, followed by an original short story inspired by his or her imagined role. A handful of 21 authors featuredShannon Hale, Brandon Mull, Ally Condie, and Jennifer A. Nielsenare well known, but the stories themselves are a mixed bag, with those by the marquee names, not surprisingly, the best. Some of the rest are uninspired, and a few even pedestrian. That said, the color photographs are generally successful in capturing the kids' imaginations, and all proceeds go to the Anything Can Be Project.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)